Corporate challenges for in-house lawyers

Some 70% of 120 in-house lawyers taking part in the report, ‘Inside In-House: 2025 Legal Talent Outlook’, published this week, said their top concern was managing their workload with limited resources. Asked to identify skills gaps beyond law, 78% said tech proficiency, 68% said leadership and management capability, and 65% said commercial acumen.

Only 16% said they have structured learning and development frameworks, despite demand for more defined career pathways and support such as mentoring, the report found.

Spencer Davis, chief legal officer at Lifezone Metals, said: ‘In-house roles are demanding. People often expect more flexibility and less pressure, but the reality is, you’re still accountable to boards, C-suite, and cross-border teams.’